Southampton has come in as a close runner up in the race to be the UK’s next City of Culture.
The Bid for City of culture has been an impressive and imaginative team effort from key partners across the City, the University has supported this effort through our venues, staff, students and research.
President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark E. Smith said:
“Obviously we are disappointed not to have won, but we offer our congratulations to Bradford. However, we are immensely proud of how the community of Southampton came together to support this bid, the partnerships we developed and the work that went into initiatives like the Inclusion Pledges that will continue to have an impact in Southampton for years to come.
With the importance of the civic agenda in our new strategy we look forward to continuing to work closely with the Council and the many new friends we have made through the bidding process, with the refreshed sense unity and common purpose we have discovered.”
Southampton City Council, the University of Southampton and Solent University have committed to continue investing in the Southampton 2025 Trust to deliver against an agreed programme putting culture at its heart.
We welcome the grant of £125,000, awarded to all runners up, from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. The funding will help support the Southampton 2025 Trust in taking forward some of the most exciting elements of the bid.
